the Juniper Tree.A
long long time ago, there lived a young man and his wife. They lived in a big house with a garden. Every morning the
woman would go out to the garden and lye under the Juniper tree on the east wall of the garden, closest to the house.
On winter she was peeling apples and she accidentaly cut her finger and the blood fell upon the snow How happy id be she said
to herself if i had but one child as red as blood and as white as snow. and so everyday she prayed for such a child. However
one day she grew terribly ill and called her husband over to her If i die she said bury me under the Juniper tree the husband
slowly nodded. She also found herself pregnant, and when she had the child and saw that he was as red as blood and white
as snow, her joy was so great....that she died. The husband grieved over his wife for three years before getting
married again. He now had a daughter born to him (his first child was a boy white as snow and as red as blood) He loved
his daughter verry much but always favored his first born son. This made the wife angry, when she saw the boy and then
saw her little girl, it inraged her to think she would never get the whole of the property. So she treated the
boy like a slave with huffatings and buffatings, so much so that he would dread coming home from school. One day
little mourleen (the daughter) asked if she could have an apple Yes my dear said her mother, and may not brother have one
too? Moutleen asked. Yes, when he comes home from school. her mother replied. Just then she looked up and saw
the boy coming home and it was if an evil spirit entered her and she snatched the apple out of her little girls hands and
yelled Stop! You shall not have one before your brother! Little Mourleen ran out of the room crying. When the boy walked
in the mother said in a sinister voice My son, will you have an apple? Then get one out for yourself, they are in the trunk.
(the trunk had a verry heavy lid and a large iron lock) and as the boy leanned over to grab the apple...CRASH down when the
lid, and the little boys head rolled right off. What am i to do! yelled the mother No one must know i did it! so she
took a silk hankercheif from her pocket and tied his head back on his sholders and proped him up on a chair. Little
Mourleen ran into the kitchen while her mother was boiling a pot of hot soup. Mother! Mother! Brother looks so pale, and when
i asked him whats wrong he didnt answere me...and that scared me. Go to him again said the mother and if he still
does not answer you...then give him a box on the ear. Little Mourleen ran back to the boy and said Brother tell me whats
wrong he did not answer and so she gave him a box in the ear (she hit him) and then his head rolled off! OH MOTHER!!!
cried Mourleen I HAVE KNOCKED OFF BROTHERS HEAD!!! she was crying and screaming. What have you done! said the
mother. We must not tell anyone...we will make him into puddings (like a beef stew) That night
the father came home, where is my son he asked, the mother said nothing where is my son?! he asked again. Oh...he has
gone to the country to....stay with...his mothers great uncle, he likes it there and he should be gone....six weeks or so.
He will be well looked after the mother replied nervously. Well i feel uneasy...what if he isnt alright...and
he never even said goodbye, aww my little Maurleen why do you weep, brother will soon be back. Little maurleen sat in
the corner crying and weeping. After dinner Maurleen (still crying) took the left over bones of her
brother, but them in her best silk hankerchief and took them outside. For some reason she felt she should place them
under the Juniper tree and the moment she did so the branches started to sway back and forth like someone clapping their hands
for joy, and right where she left the bones and fire grew and from that fire flew a beutiful bird. Maurleen had already
ran back in the house and did not see the fire nor the bird. The bird flew around and landed on a shoe makers house
and sang: My mother killed her little son, my father greived while i was gone, my sister loved me best of all she laid
her kercheif over me, and took my bones that they might lye, underneith the Juniper tree, she wept, she wept and what a beutiful
bird am I The shoe maker heard this and ran out saying Oh bird, how beutiful it is you sing....let me hear it again!
Nay, for i do not sing for nothing the bird replied. Wife... said the shoe maker turning to his wife, go to my shop
and on the top shelf you will see a pair of red shoes, bring them to me! As she returned the bird flew down and grabbed
the shoes with his right foot, and he sang again :My mother killed her little son, my father greived while i was gone, my
sister loved me best of all she laid her kercheif over me, and took my bones that they might lye, underneith the Juniper tree,
she wept, she wept and what a beutiful bird am I He then flew away and landed on the roof of a gold smiths
house and sang:My mother killed her little son, my father greived while i was gone, my sister loved me best of all she laid
her kercheif over me, and took my bones that they might lye, underneith the Juniper tree, she wept, she wept and what a beutiful
bird am I The Gold smith also ran out to the street, still holding the chain he was still working on and the pins
and hammer. Oh bird he said, let me hear tht angelic song yet again! nay i do not sing twice for nothing the bird
said, just as he had said before. here...take this gold necklace chain...its all i have...just sing again! and
so the bird flew down and took the chain in his left claw. and so he sang:My mother killed her little son, my father greived
while i was gone, my sister loved me best of all she laid her kercheif over me, and took my bones that they might lye, underneith
the Juniper tree, she wept, she wept and what a beutiful bird am I He now flew over to a mill where
15 men were hard at work and he sang: My mother killed her little son and 3 men left off work to hear the bird my father greived
while i was gone, my sister loved me best of all she laid her kercheif over me, and took my bones that they might lye, now
only three men were still working. underneith the Juniper tree, she wept, she wept and what a beutiful bird am I and
now the last man left to go hear the bird. oh bird, how beutiful is your voice...let me hear it too! the man said.
give me that millstone replied the bird. well...if it belong to me alone you should have it! said the man.
Then all the men yelled if he will sing again it is his! so the bird sang for them. He then flew back
to the fathers house and sang. Father stood up and said what a wonderful day...i feel like im going to see an old friend...perhaps
ill go outside to better hear that wonderful bird!Just then the bird tossed down the gold chain and it fell around the
neck of the father. Look! cried the father running inside, what a wonderful bird indeed, look what he gave me!
Little Mourleen ran outside to see if the bird could cheer her up and the moment she stepped outside the bird dropped
the shoes by her feet. Yes yelled Mouleen running inside, he truly is a wonderful bird, look he has given me new red
shoes...i was so sad when i left but that has all passed. THEN I TOO SHALL GO OUTSIDE AND SEE IF THIS BIRD
CAN CURE MY MISERY! Screamed the mother, but the moment she came near the bird he threw down the millstone on her head.
The mother fell down dead, and another fire grew from her body. The bird flew down into the fire and when Mourleen and
her father came outside to see what had happend there stood the little boy. And they lived hapily ever after.